Jason Dufner

2.1. Early life and upbringing

Dufner was born in Cleveland, Ohio. At the age of 11, he relocated to the Washington, D.C. area. Three years later, at 14, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was in Fort Lauderdale that he began playing golf, a sport he would pursue professionally.

2.2. Education

Dufner attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he played golf during his sophomore, junior, and senior years. Following high school, he enrolled at Auburn University as a walk-on for the golf team. During his college career, he achieved three victories and was recognized as an Honorable Mention All-American in 1997. He completed his studies at Auburn in 2000, earning a degree in economics.

4.1. Early career and development (2001-2009)

In the initial stages of his professional career, Jason Dufner faced challenges in maintaining a consistent position on the PGA Tour. He was a member of the PGA Tour in 2004, but spent much of his early years on the Nationwide Tour, playing there in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. During his tenure on the Nationwide Tour, Dufner achieved two victories: the Buy.com Wichita Open in 2001 and the LaSalle Bank Open in 2006. His performance in 2006, finishing 8th on the Nationwide Tour money list, earned him his PGA Tour card for the 2007 season.

However, 2007 proved difficult as he finished 127th in the FedEx Cup standings and failed to qualify at the PGA Tour Q-School, where he finished tied for 149th. This meant he retained only conditional status for the 2008 PGA Tour season. He subsequently improved his standing by finishing tied for 11th at the Q-School that year, securing his tour card for 2009. Since then, Dufner has maintained his membership on the PGA Tour every year.

The 2009 season marked a significant improvement for Dufner, as he recorded six top-10 finishes. These included a third-place finish at the RBC Canadian Open and a runner-up position at the Deutsche Bank Championship, which was part of the FedEx Cup playoffs. As a result of these strong performances, Dufner concluded the year 11th in the FedEx Cup standings and 33rd on the year's money list. The 2010 season was less successful, with only two top-10 finishes. However, his best performance of that year came in a major championship, the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, where he tied for fifth place, just two strokes shy of the playoff. He was eliminated in the third FedEx Cup playoff event and did not qualify for The Tour Championship.

4.2. 2011 season

The 2011 season saw Jason Dufner come close to his first PGA Tour title and a major championship. Early in the year, he had an opportunity to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. He finished tied for the lead at 18-under-par after 72 holes but ultimately lost in a playoff to Mark Wilson, who made a birdie on the second extra hole. Dufner also performed well at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where a final-round 66 propelled him to a tie for third place. He gained entry into the 2011 U.S. Open after Anders Hansen withdrew, having previously lost in a playoff to Russell Henley during a qualifying tournament in Georgia. He also played in the 2011 Open Championship due to Tiger Woods' withdrawal, though he missed the cut in both the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.

4.3. 2012 season

Jason Dufner maintained his strong form into the 2012 season. He shared the 36-hole lead at the 2012 Masters Tournament, though he faded over the weekend to finish tied for 24th. Three weeks later, at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Dufner secured his first PGA Tour victory in his 164th start. He defeated Ernie Els on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. Dufner had entered the final round with a two-stroke advantage and shot a 70, finishing at 19 under par, a tournament total record that Els also equaled. On the first playoff hole, the 18th, Els had a chance to win with a 6 ft putt but missed it right. Replaying the 18th, Dufner found the green in two, and when Els failed to get up and down from 100 yd short of the green, Dufner sealed the win with a two-putt. This victory elevated Dufner into the world's top 20.

Just three weeks after his first win, Dufner claimed his second victory at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, triumphing by one stroke over Dicky Pride. Dufner began the final round with the 54-hole lead but bogeyed the second and third holes, surrendering his lead. He recovered with birdies on the fourth, fifth, and seventh holes but remained behind his playing partner, J. J. Henry, until the 17th hole, where Henry made a double bogey. Now tied for the lead with Pride, who was already in the clubhouse, Dufner sank a 25 ft birdie putt on the 72nd hole to secure the outright victory. This win propelled Dufner to 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking and first in the FedEx Cup standings, making him only the second multiple winner on the PGA Tour in 2012, alongside Hunter Mahan.

In May 2012, Dufner had another opportunity to win his third PGA Tour title of the year at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He led after both 36 and 54 holes but was ultimately beaten by one stroke by former Masters champion Zach Johnson. Despite the loss, this second-place finish further boosted Dufner's ranking, propelling him to 8th in the Official World Golf Ranking, a career best at the time. Dufner's exceptional season continued at the 2012 U.S. Open, where he finished in a tie for fourth place, two strokes behind winner Webb Simpson. This remains his best finish to date in the U.S. Open. His consistent high-level play earned him a spot on his first Ryder Cup team in 2012, where he compiled a record of 3-1 in the three-day matches, including a 2-up win over Peter Hanson in the singles competition.

4.4. 2013 season

In January 2013, Jason Dufner expressed interest in becoming a member of the European Tour. In June 2013, he achieved a fourth-place finish at the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club, marking his second consecutive year finishing fourth at the tournament. Dufner entered the final round at +8 but made five birdies within the first 14 holes, bringing his overall score to +3. However, he triple-bogeyed the par-4 15th hole, moving him back to +6. After a birdie at the 16th, Dufner parred holes 17 and 18, finishing the tournament at +5, four shots behind the eventual winner, Justin Rose.

4.5. Later career wins (2016-2017)

In January 2016, Jason Dufner claimed his fourth PGA Tour title at the CareerBuilder Challenge at PGA West. This victory ended a two-and-a-half-year winless drought since his 2013 PGA Championship triumph. He defeated David Lingmerth in a sudden-death playoff after both players finished four shots clear of the field at 25-under-par. Lingmerth had a chance to win on the first playoff hole but missed his 20 ft birdie putt, while Dufner had to sink a 10 ft putt for par, sending them back to the 18th for the second extra hole. After Lingmerth found the light rough with his tee shot, he hooked his second shot into the water on the left, allowing Dufner to comfortably finish the hole and claim the title.

On June 4, 2017, Dufner won the Memorial Tournament, marking his fifth PGA Tour victory. In the 2018 PGA Tour season, Dufner did not win a tournament, earning 1.50 M USD and finishing 80th on the money list.

5.1. PGA Championship victory

Jason Dufner's maiden major championship win occurred at the 2013 PGA Championship. He secured a two-stroke victory at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. After an opening round of 68, two under par, Dufner made history in the second round by shooting a seven-under-par 63. This score tied the record for the lowest round ever recorded in a major championship and broke the course record at Oak Hill Country Club. During this round, he carded five birdies and an eagle, the latter achieved by holing out from 105 yd on the par-4 2nd hole. He narrowly missed an outright record of 62, leaving a 12 ft birdie putt short on the 18th. This exceptional performance gave him a two-shot lead entering the weekend.

In the third round, Dufner shot a one-over-par 71, which caused him to fall one stroke behind Jim Furyk. This set up a final-round pairing where Dufner was once again in the final group of a PGA Championship on Sunday, a position he had also held in 2011. In the final round, Dufner started strong, birdying the 4th hole to share the lead with Furyk. Further birdies on the 5th and 8th holes, combined with a bogey from Furyk on the 9th, gave Dufner a two-stroke lead going into the back nine. He maintained his composure, making a crucial par save on the 11th and a near tap-in birdie on the 16th from 18 in. Despite Furyk's efforts to stay close, Dufner held a two-stroke lead going into the 18th. After both players found the rough, Furyk bogeyed, and Dufner secured his victory with a tap-in par, finishing 10 under par for the tournament.

5.2. Major championship results timeline

The following table shows Jason Dufner's performance in the major championships. Results are not in chronological order in 2020.

Explanation of terms:

• 1: Win
• T4, T5, T8, T10: Top 10 finish
• CUT: missed the half-way cut
• "T": indicates a tie for a place
• WD: withdrew
• NT: No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

5.3. Major championship summary

The following table summarizes Jason Dufner's career performance in major championships.

Additional statistics:

• Most consecutive cuts made: 9 (from the 2011 PGA Championship to the 2013 PGA Championship)
• Longest streak of top-10s: 1 (achieved six times)

6.1. PGA Tour wins

Jason Dufner has recorded five victories on the PGA Tour.

Jason Dufner's PGA Tour playoff record is 2 wins and 3 losses.

6.2. Nationwide Tour wins

Dufner has two victories on the Nationwide Tour.

6.3. Other wins

In addition to his individual tour victories, Jason Dufner has one other professional win.

8.1. Ryder Cup

Dufner was a member of the United States team for the 2012 Ryder Cup. In the three-day matches, he compiled a record of 3-1. This included a 2-up victory over Peter Hanson in the singles competition. The U.S. team ultimately lost the event to Europe with a score of 13.5 to 14.5.

8.2. Presidents Cup

Dufner also participated in the 2013 Presidents Cup. The United States team emerged victorious in this competition, defeating the International team with a final score of 18.5 to 15.5.